Washboard



(No Model.) M. PEGK.

WASHBOARD.

No. 566.933. I Patented Sept.1, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT 0* FFICE,

MELVIN PEOK, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA.

WASHBOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 566,933, dated September 1, 1896.

Application filed March 1 1396- T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MELVIN PECK, a citizen of the United States, residing at South Bend, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inWashboards, of which the following is a specification.

The first part of my invention relates to a washboard having slotted side pieces to receive separate strips which form the rubbingsurface; and the improvement consists in making said strips of alternate pieces of wood and metal and in uniting them to each other and to the slotted side pieces in a substantial and effective manner, to provide an improved double rubbing-surface, and to'allow each of the wooden strips to drain and dry independently of each other, and to adapt the several parts to be made and fitted together in a simple, secure, and inexpensive manner.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of and illustrate my invention, Figure l is a perspective view of my improved washboard; Fig. 2, alongitudinal section thereof, upon a somewhat enlarged scale, when in an upright position, with the soap-board suspended in a central vertical plane and in line with the strips comprising the rubbing-surfaces; Fig. 3, an enlarged sectional front elevation of the upper left-hand corner of my improved washboard, showing in detail the construction and arrangement of the several parts; and Fig. 4, a side elevation of one of the side pieces detached, showing the inner slotted and mortised faces thereof.

The frame of the washboard consists of wooden side pieces 1, connected by a wooden cap-piece 2 and by top and bottom crosspieces 3 and 4, fitted, respectively, in the upper and lower ends of the longitudinal slot 5 in the inner faces of the side pieces 1, and all secured together in any usual or preferred manner. The slots 5 between the top and bottom cross-pieces 3 and 4 receive the ends of metal strips 6, which are alternately through them and hold the strips securely to- Serial No. 584,990. (No model.)

gether in proper relation to each other, and

so that the ends of the wooden strips will be held close to the inner faces of the side pieces without entering the longitudinal slots therein, and the outer faces of the wooden strips are grooved, as at 10, to provide channels and corrugated rubbing-surfaces on the opposite sides of the board, the edges of the wooden strips and metal strips being flush with each other and properly smoothed and rounded to provide a rubbing-surface which will not warp or be easily worn away.

The space 11 at the ends of the wooden strips and in the slot of the side pieces allows the water to drain freely from each strip independently of the other strips, thus permitting the washboard to quickly dry and be easily washed and cleaned of sediment. The wooden strips 7 are all cut off at the same length as they come from the planing-mill, except that holes are bored through them to receive the rods 9, and the metal strips are all plain metal strips cut off at equal lengths and drilled to receive said rods 9, and when the metal and wooden strips are thus held together, with the metal strips projecting beyond the wooden strips, a very strong and durable washboard is formed which will not warp or strip and which will be provided with end drainage-channels in a simple manner without providing special devices, such as separate rubber cushions or packing-pieces, which have been heretofore used to hold the rub-board free from the frame. By making each wood and metal strip separate, with flat adjacent sides, and alternating them the rubbing-surface will be made morevdurable, as the wooden strips will be held and prevented from warping and the edges of said wooden strips will be protected and prevented from stripping at the edges. The ends of all of the strips are cut square off in the construction herein claimed and need not be tenoned to fit the mortises, as in other more expensive constructions where wooden strips only are employed. The grooved wooden strips provide a soft rubbing-surface and the interposed metal strips protect the edges of the wooden strips.

The soap-board 12 is pivotally connected with the side pieces by pins 13, which enter bored mortise-holes 14 in the faces of the side pieces 1, and the said soap-board also has pins 15 its: endful'poiieach, side, whichen'ter' said metal mortised' slo'ts'16 in the inner faces of the side pieces and which permit the soap-board to swing upon the upper pin and drop toward either side at the lower end, depending. upon the side of the Washboard turned uppermost, to thus provide a space or receptacle to hold the soapat the upper end of the washboard, and upon either side thereof.

The construction herein described. is Very strong, substantial, and inexpensive, and I am thereby enabled to providea Washboard at smaller cost which will be light, strong, and dur le- The short wooden, strips which, enter the,

mortises of; thesidepiecesand the cross-rods through, said: stripsto h old them together providelastrong, inexpensive, and

sufficientlyvlight.washboard possessing great dlirability,and one vghioh will provide a rigid r 1nyieldinsr bbin -su fi s n iiq which will; have open joints which will readily drain and allow the board to thoroughly dry out without Warping.

I claim as my invention and desire to sccure by Letters Patent- A washboard comprising mortised or slotted side pieces and transverse end pieces secured thereto, forming the frame, in combination with Wooden strips terminating between said side pieces, alternate metal strips extending into the mortises or slots of the side pieces, and metal rods passing through said Wooden and metal strips, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

MELVIN PEGK. Witnesses:

B. KR EPER,

R. LUCKE. 

